Visa guides

ESL teaching visa guides

What each visa actually requires, how long it takes, what it costs, and the gotchas to plan around. Updated for the current school year.

Asia

E-2 Visa (South Korea)

Korea's standard work visa for native-English ESL teachers. Bachelor's, criminal check, sealed transcripts.

Z Visa (China)

China's work visa for foreign teachers. Two years' work experience, TEFL, and a notarized background check required.

Instructor Visa (Japan)

Japan's visa for K-12 ALT and public school teaching roles. Bachelor's required, native-English speaker preference.

Work Permit and TRC (Vietnam)

Vietnam's combination of Work Permit plus Temporary Residence Card. Bachelor's + TEFL + health check.

Non-Immigrant B Visa (Thailand)

Thailand's work visa for foreign teachers. Bachelor's + TEFL + Thai teacher license (waiverable for first 2 years).

Europe

Auxiliares de Conversación (Spain)

Spain's government language assistant program. Stipend plus a student visa for non-EU citizens.

Middle East

Work Visa (UAE)

Tax-free employment visa for licensed K-12 teachers in the UAE. Strict credential requirements but high pay.

Americas

TP-4 Migrant Visa (Colombia)

Colombia's sponsored work visa for foreign teachers. Less common than informal pathways.